Electric-railway system.



O. E. FALCH, JR. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED rmms, 1909.

I 1 27,2 1 7 Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' L ./L JL I 5 E1 WITNESSES: v VEN THE NORRIS P'ETERS CO.. PHDTC LITHO., WASHINGTON D. C. Q

0. E. FALGH, JR. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM. APPLIGATION FILED PBB.26, 1909.

1,127,217. Patented Feb. 2, .1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

'HE NORRIS PETERS CO PHIITIL! fun "1..."... ,7

0. E. PALOH, J11. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED PEB.26, 1909.

1, 1 1 7, Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

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INVENTOR was. aw b;

HE NQRRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C,

0. E. PALOH, J11. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED PEB.26, 1909.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR (0% 6.

THE NORRIS PETERS CL7.. PHOTCLITHO.. WASHING TON D. c.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,285.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO E. FALoH, Jr,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Mill Valley. in the county of Marin and v State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the means of supplying current to electric cars, and is applicable to street, suburban, interurban and electrification of railway systems.

The object of my invention is to overcome the objections to trolley, third rail, conduit,

and surface contact systems, and to provide a system which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, with its parts so made as to avoid all danger of contact, 'short cir- -.:3 cuits. and interference to the traliic when the current 1s collected through contacts near the ground.

Another object is to provide a system in which the current collector which makes contact with plates in the roadway or plates overhead, is so constructed that current will be continuously supplied to the motors and the said collector remaining parallel to the rails when the cars pass over changes in grade, around curves, and in movements between car couplings in a train of cars. Also a means of reducing the sparking at the points of contact. 'Other objects are more fully hereinafter set forth.

-5 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view showing in elevation the application of my invention to a type of electric railways where the current is collected near the ground. Fig. 2 represents a side view showing in elevation a type of electric railways where the current is collected overhead. Fig. 3 and Fig. 3* show plan views of two cars on a, curve and at a crossing respectively. Fig. 4: shows an enlarged plan view of the contact runner. Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of a portion of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show separate elevations of the splice plates. In Fig. 8 is shown an end elevation of the current collecting device with contact plates located at the side of the rails. Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of the contact plate and Fig. 10 the plan view. In Fig. 11 is shown an end elevation of the current collectingdevice and the contact plate within a housing located between the rails. Fig. 12 shows a side elevation of Fig. 11 and in section on the line a a of Fig. 11 the contact plate and housing looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 13 shows a plan view of the housing and Fig. 14 a section on the line b I) of Fig. 13 looking in the direction of the arrows. In Fig. 15 is shown an end elevation of the current collecting device with contact plates located overhead. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of Fig. 15. In Fig. 17 is shown an end elevation of the contact plates mounted at the side of the rails when arranged for an under-running contact runner. Fig. 18 represents diagrammatically a view illustrating the principle of my invention.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views. W

Mounted on the trucks or on the top of the cars 2 2 is the contact runner divided into sections 3 4: 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 4' 3 extending parallel to the rails 1 1 over the length of the train. The contact plates 9 9', etc, are spaced so that at least one plate will always remain in contact with the runner to form a continuous electrical connection with the source of power through the feeder 12 and leads 10 10. The wheels of the cars are designated by the numerals 11 and 11'. The sections of the runner 5 6 7 8 7 6 5 are joined by slotted splice plates 16 and 17 shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. The splice plate 16 with its rounded corners 29 and 29 and notch 23 joins the adjacent sections on the inside leg of the L-shaped runner and is held by the bolts 18 18 passing through the slots 22 22 and through the holes 56 in the runner with the springs 19 19 on the said bolts between the outside splice plate 17 and nuts on these bolts.

In the movement of the cars over changes in grade shown in Fig. 1, and the enlarged details of the runner sections and splice plates in Figs. l, 5, 6, and 7 these adjacent runner sections, can turn up around the bolts 18 and 18 as the splice plates have rounded corners 29 and 29, or the runner sections 6, 6 and 8 can turn down as shown by dotted position in Fig. 6, the splice plates having a notch 23 cut into its lower edge. When the cars pass around curves the slots 22 22 in the splice plates take up the variations in length of the runner, and by compressing the springs 19 19' allow the runner sections to bend in a horizontal plane as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4:, thus ad usting itthe runner.

by hinge 36 is to prevent accidental contact and bolts 43 43 self approximately parallel to the rails combined with the flexibility of the contact run ner itself. i

Fig. 8 represents a preferable method of carrying the contact runner at the side of the trucks by a bracket 29 supporting the block 30 to which is bolted the frame 32 which is provided with bearings for the shaft 37 on which is pivoted the arm 20 to which is bolted the L-shaped contact runner by bolts 21 21. Spring 33 causes the runner to press against the contact plate 9, and bolt 34 limits the downward movement of Cover 35 fastened to block 30 with the live runner. The contact plates 9 are held betweenthe two insulators 13 13 by the strap 14, said insulators being mounted on a block 47 fastened to the ties 48 and 48.

Fig. 11 represents a preferable method of carrying the runner under the car with the contact plates located between the rails in housing 15 and supported by insulators l3 13, having the said housing fastened to the base 16in the street. 39 shows the outline of a portion of the motor.

Fig. 15 represents a preferable method of carrying the runner on the top of the cars on insulator 40 40 between which is supported the cross-piece 41 by straps 42 42 carrying the block 30 to which is fastened the frame 32 which is pro vided with bearings for the shaft 37 on which is pivoted the arm 20 to which is bolted the L-shaped contact runner by bolts '21 and 21. The spring 38 on the shaft 37 between the arm 20 and the frame 32 is to reduce the effect of impact of the car contact runner on the contact plates shown in Fig. 16. Spring 33 causes the runner to pressagainst the contact plates. and the bolt 34limits the upward movement of the runner.

I Figs. 1'5 and 16 show the views looking in the direction or parallel to the track and looking at right'angles to the track respectively of the brackets fastened to posts at the side of the track and consisting of a pipe 45 and rods 46 46 which hold by means of theclamp 44 the insulator 13 supporting the contact plate 9' which is connected to the feeder 'by the lead 10.

'Thecam faced ends 3 3' of the runner are insulated from the adiacent section 44 and 5-5 by the insulating piece 28 and fastened to it by the bolts 24 24 as shown in detail in Fig. 4. To this insulating piece is also fastened by bolt 25 section 4 and by bolts 26 26 section '5. The cam faced end section 3 is insulated from section 4 so that when the contact plates are inclosed by a metallic housing as shown in Fig. 12 there will be no danger of the saidend to come in contact with the said housing and cause a short-circuit before it makes contact with in the circuit between the contact plate 9 which the runner is leaving, causing the current to flow to the motors on the cars through the front contact plate 9 from the feeder 12 by lead 10, shown in Fig. 18 where the arrow indicates the direction of travel of the cars. It is therefore evident that my arrangement of the said resistance in the circuit of the runner forms an effective means for preventing the sparking between the contact plates and the runner. The flexible leads 52 between the adjacent sections of the contact runner form the means of carrying the current between the -said sections to form a continuous electrical conductor, and the flexible leads 51 51 carrying the current from the runner to the motors.

Fig. 8 represents my invention as particularly applied to railways where the continuous third rail is undesirable as for suburban and inter-urban railways. In Fig. 17 is shown the same type applied to an under contact runner pressing against the contact plate 9. Said plate is held by insulator 13 which is fastened by the strap 44 to the stand 49 fastened to the block 47 on theties 48. and a cover 50 over the insulator 13.

Fig. 11 represents my invention as particularly applied to street railways where the trolley is undesirable and the expense of conduit systems prohibitive.

Figs. 2, 3f. 15 and 16 represent my invention as applied to high tension overhead construction and is particularly adapted to lines requiring more than one overhead current collector as in two or three phase systems to overcome the interferences and complications which occur at crossings,.sidings and in railway yards as shown in plan in 'Fig. 3 for a crossing. The advantages of this construction shown partly in detail in Figs. 15 and 16 and the general arrangement plan in Fig. 3 is that when a train of cars pass over a crossing of another line similarly constructed or at switching points in its own line all interferences and complications by using twooverhead current collectors are overcome as contact plates would come sufliciently far apart with this system.

The maximum distance between the contact plates determined by the number of cars that make up a train and said distance must be less than the total length of the runner between the sections 4 on the front end to which the resistance. is connected by leads 53 54 and the rear end section 4' to which the resistance 55' is connected.

The two ends of the contact runner :are

made similar so that-when the direction of travel of the cars is changed the opposite end resistance will be inserted in the circuit between the rear contact plate and the runner before this circuit is broken.

Although I have shown the application of my invention to a train of cars it is also applicable to a single car.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction of details and arrangement of parts as herein shown, but reserving the right to make such changes therein as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention,

What I claim, and desire to be protected by Letters Patent, is

1. An electrically operated railway, contact plates, horizontally extending movably mounted flexible current collectors comprising sections electrically and mechanically connected and means for longitudinal movement between said sections, alternate sections supported between adjacent movably mounted sections adjusting themselves parallel to the rails in riding over rigidly mounted contact plates along the roadway.

2. In an electrically propelled train of cars, current collectors extending longitudinally the entire length of the train with movably mounted sections having similar sections suspended between said movably mounted sections and all sections connected by slotted splice plates with springs on the bolts that pass through the said slots and holes in the ends of each section for allowing the whole current collector to adjust itself approximately parallel to the rails.

Copies, of this patent may be obtained for 3. Two parallel current collectors adapted to be mounted on the top of a train of cars and extending horizontally the entire length of the said train provided with movably mounted sections supporting intermediate sections connected together by slotted splice plates, for allowing longitudinal, horizontal and vertical movement in said connections substantially as described.

a. Two parallel overhead current collectors extending horizontally the entire length of a train, said current collectors divided into sections joined by universal joints which also allow longitudinal movement between sections.

5. Flexible current collectors mounted on an electrically propelled train of cars extending longitudinally the entire length of the train, alternate sections of current collectors yieldingly mounted and sections supported between said yieldingly mounted sections and joined by universal joints and means for longitudinal movement between all sections for allowing the entire current collector to adjust itself approximately par allel to the rails when the train travels over the road.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO E. FALCH, JR.

lVitnesses:

HARRIE G. BIGGS, EDGAR A. lVEYMoU'rH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

